The AP Exam.....

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Also, you score is based from 1 to 5 there really is no ...

Well, the test that I will be taking will cost me $80. As for the tests use, I guess that it is all dependent upon which university that you are attending. The university that I am attending does take AP create, so I will take the test.

Yes it is dependent on which college you go to and if they accept credit. no point in the test if they don't accept it. but the class gets you started with learning programming and/or furthering your knowledge.

Also, you score is based from 1 to 5 there really is no "passing" scores. Different university/colleges usually accept scores 3, 4, or 5.

As you said, universities usually accept 3, 4, and 5 scores. I have yet to see a college accept a 2 or lower, so it is inferred that 3 and above is passing.

My suggestion is to prep for the test by programming. Go to Barnes and Noble, find a good c++ book (The complete reference by Herbert Schildt- 4th edition), and a data structure book, and actually write a linked list, bubble sort, and binary trees on your own.

The only way to learn how to program is by programming, and looking through some books stores will allow you to find a book that best suits your needs.

and my university does not accept AP for the software engineering course so it is redundant

And how can you say it's redundant? Are you going to throw away the results of the test just because your college doesn't accept it for credit?

Programming can't be learned by just studying the theories, you have to "get your hands dirty" and invest a lot of time actually programming. That's the only way you'll learn. Knowing even a little programming will give you a huge advantage in college, and it will allow you get more practice time actually programming while your classmates are still trying to grasp the theories.

I took the ap CS exam (AB) last year (got a 5, sorry couldn't resist), and I'm also a TA for the AP CS class at my school. The best book I found was the AP study guide from Barron's its almost good enough to use as a text book. Lets see... of the 4 free response questions (ones where you actually write code) only one of them is on the Marine Biology case study and usually you barely need to know any of the case study to complete it. Also 10-13 of the 60 multiple choice questions are on the Case Study. So read up on the case study and your theory (big-O notation, and sorts). You should also check out the College board's website they have both the A and AB exams for the last 2-3 years available in PDF. One last thing you only need about 60% of the possible points for a 5 (it changes every year but it is usally around 60%)